SK Saikia, who was the commissioner of the Ahmedabad police during the phone-tapping incident, speaks to NDTV
The expansive surveillance of a young woman in Gujarat by the state's most senior police officers was "elaborate protection, not snooping", the BJP has claimed, as it battles allegations that the espionage was illegal and ordered by Narendra Modi, who is now running for Prime Minister.
But SK Saikia, who was the commissioner of the Ahmedabad police when the woman's phone was tapped for several months, told NDTV today that no clearances appeared to have been taken to monitor her.
"If the phone tap had followed the proper route I would have been aware," he said today. "Everything has to be processed through the Commissioner of Police and state intelligence, and permission taken through the Home Department."
Mr Saikia also said that such heavy surveillance for an individual, involving Gujarat's Anti Terror Squad, the crime branch and other wings of the police was unprecedented, adding that he was pained by the beating the reputation the Gujarat police had taken.
At least 6 high ranking police officers from the state are either behind bars or facing charges for abusing their official position, mostly in cases of fake encounters.
The woman's father wrote on Tuesday night to the National Commission for Women, requesting it not to investigate the case. He said his daughter, an architect, was aware that he had requested Mr Modi to ensure that she was safe. He did not say what prompted his request, or what sort of assistance he asked for or received.
The National Commission for Women appears to be speaking in two voices on the case. After commission chief Mamta Sharma said on Wednesday that plans for an enquiry had been abandoned based on a letter written by the woman's father, her colleague Nirmala Samant Prabhavalkar said the commission wants the authenticity of the letter checked.
She also questioned why the letter was sent to a political party's office before it was received by the commission.
Yesterday, the BJP used the letter written by the woman's father to bolster its argument that the controversy has been manufactured by political opponents to undermine Mr Modi's credibility in the run up to the national elections, due by May.
"It wasn't snooping but an elaborate protection arrangement done with the consent of the family and even the targeted girl. After the father's letter, the matter should be closed," said BJP's Prakash Javadekar.